


One More Troubled Soul

by purplenerd777



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, M/M, Not Really?, but gabe is pretty self depricating in the first half
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 13:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13248789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplenerd777/pseuds/purplenerd777
Summary: There was only one option left. “Goddamit-“He had done this before with Olivia one bad mission when her teleporter stopped working, but he had never tried with two people. Time slowed down drastically as Gabe stepped into the shadow and moved toward the ORCA. He had to concentrate on keeping Jack and Jesse together in his mind, and to keep his nanites to himself in case they decided that some soul energy was needed to make the plan work.Gabe's on his first mission in the new Overwatch and he's not exactly thrilled about it. But his family won't let him forget how loved he is.





	One More Troubled Soul

Reaper honestly had no clue what had gotten into Winston’s head. Sure he had been out of medical for six months and he had been under Angela’s observation for three months prior, but sending him on a mission? The scientist never should had been put in charge of tactics in this new Overwatch.

 

But there he was, in an ORCA which was crammed full with other agents he honestly didn’t want to be with. Tracer was sitting up in the cockpit, flying the damn thing and talking with Athena. She wasn’t on the mission, just their getaway driver as she called herself, and grudgingly Reaper had to admit she was the best bet. Then there was Lucio, the new medic who kept trying to check in with Reaper every few moments, the kid claimed he was under strict orders from Ziegler and Ana, but Reaper could see that the younger kid was just as protective of his patients as the other medics in the new Overwatch.

 

McCree and the gifted Korean kid (he knew her name, he couldn’t forget the first of the new generation who came to see him when he came back), went over possible strategies for the mission. The older Shimada was sitting close to McCree, and while the back of his mind warned Reaper to keep an eye on the archer, the way McCree easily made space for the man, he couldn’t not trust the cowboy’s instinct. Besides, he was fairly certain that it was McCree who had something to do with putting  him to be put on mission rosters.

 

Finally there was him... and Jack, or Soldier 76 as he called himself in that ridiculous get up. Sure, Reaper’s name and outfit was horrific, and hurt even himself, but he didn’t make the choice.Talon had screwed with his brain, and the mask into his head, then sent him on his way in that god awful uniform. No. Jack had come up with the stupid name and look all by himself. As if there weren’t scientists from SEP still alive who could figure out that maybe a super soldier going around calling himself Soldier: 76, was the 76th soldier they started experimenting on.

 

But neither of them were looking at each other. Jack had his visor on, and Ga- Reaper had his beanie pulled low over his face.

 

“C’mon, Gabe” Lucio stood blocking his obstructed view of Jack.

 

“First of all kid—” Reaper started

 

“Yeah, yeah secret identity bullshit, you don’t have to tell me.” Lucio sighed, as he prodded Reaper a bit.

 

“Then second of all—”

 

Reaper was interrupted again by a heavy southern drawl, “Oh come off it Gabe, justlet Lucio do his job.” Hana snickered next to McCree.

 

“Yeah Reaps, let him do his job, you don’t want Dr. Ziegler to get mad at him when we get back do you?” A low blow, Hana knew Reaper would never put anyone through Angela’s wrath.. And he glared at her as he rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie.

 

“Go on.” Lucio smiled in thanks as he put a soothing tune on his amplifier and starting collecting samples. Reaper had to admit to himself that he appreciated the gesture. It didn’t hurt, but fuck if SEP hadn’t completely turned off needles for the rest of his life, even into his half dead life.

 

While the good doctor had managed to get the nanites under control, Reaper’s skin was still a waxy sickly greyish brown compared to what it had been when he was alive. Lucio’s body blocked the table’s view of the disgusting skin, but Jack, if he would even care, could have seen it.

 

“Wasn’t too bad, was it?” Lucio said as he moved away to have Athena send the sample to Angela back at Gibraltar.

 

“Your bedside manner is certainly better than Ana’s.” Reaper grumbled as he pulled the sleeve of his hoodie back down. Looking back up he noticed Jack’s head quickly moving away, it was difficult to tell with the mask on, but it was almost as if his old... as if the old bastard had been looking at him. Self-consciously Reaper pulled his hood over his beanie as well.

 

“Hey old farts, get over here, I wanna go over the plan one last time.” Hana called from the table, after she popped a bubble.

 

Reaper noticed that Jack stiffly stood up, it was obvious that SEP injections didn’t do wonders for joints the way that Jack claimed it did.

 

As they walked over and Hana pulled up a map of the Talon base, Hanzo tried to give Jesse some space, but the cowboy put his arm around the archer’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, probably the most amount of PDA that the Japanese man would allow.

 

“It’s pretty straight forward.” Jack grumbled from behind his mask.

 

“Please 76, nothing about this team is straight.” Tracer called from the cockpit, not much had changed there then.

 

It took a few moments before the younger members of the team could get a hold of themselves, and even Hanzo had a smirk on his face.

 

“Anyway,” McCree eventually managed to cut in “Winston said this place is a small Talon outpost. He thinks that if we can clear it out, it’s another thing we can use to prove to the UN that the PETRAS Act should be repealed.”

 

“So why do you need me here? If news that a former Talon head was involved in the mission, you’ll lose all credibility.” Reaper cut in.

 

“Always the debbie downer, you know the early 2000s called they want their emo kid phase back.” Hana shot back grinning.

 

Reaper just rolled his eyes as Hana and McCree led one last mission debrief. Occasionally the map would light up with a purple skull as Sombra kept them updated about the security and guard changes.

 

As the ORCA touched down and the others were departing Lucio brought Reaper aside. “Look man, Winston really wants you on the mission, he’s really serious about Overwatch being about second chances.” Reaper tried to cut in, but as soon as he opened his mouth he was cut off with “Not hearing that noise. But this wasn’t meant to a pep talk, Athena did a quick scan of your nanites after she sent them to the lab, and they’re acting weird, you need to look after yourself on this mission.”

 

Lucio’s eyes were hard and determined, more so than Reaper had seen them before. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll look after myself.”

 

Lucio made a disbelieving noise but allowed him to depart the ORCA with the rest of the team.

 

“Ya’ll come back now ya hear!” Tracer called in a pretty decent imitation of McCree as the door to the ORCA closed and it lifted off again so it couldn’t be as easily detected by Talon.

 

The team set off and McCree’s voice came over the comms “Alright folks we’ve only got two hours to get through this base or Lena’ll leave without us.”

 

Voices over the radio called copy.

 

“Gabe, you got any intel on this place that you haven’t shared with the class yet?” McCree asked, voice still coming in over comms, as he was in step with Reaper.

 

“Nothing, I guess Sombra will come over comms if she gets any more info.” Reaper rasped as he heard Jack scoff over comms.

 

“Hey, Gabe I want my info to be a surprise!”

 

“Why can those two call him Gabe?” Lucio muttered, although his tone suggested he knew that the others could hear him.

 

Just as Reaper was about to reply Jack cut in, with something akin to fondness in his voice “Jesse hasn’t called him what he’s asked since he was 17, and I imagine that Sombra isn’t much different.”

 

“How can you say something like that Jackie,” Reaper smirked underneath his hood at Sombra’s attempt at riling Jack up, “I have much better taste than Wannabe Eastwood.”

 

“Now listen here, at least I don’t dress in all neon-“

 

“Quiet, we’re approaching the base.” Hanzo chided from a vantage point somewhere above them.

 

“Alright, people, let’s move out, if you get in trouble, three clicks on your communicator will let us know.” McCree stated.

 

At that the team all set off with their own tasks. Shifting into the shadows Reaper took off down a hallway with McCree on his tail. It was hard to stave off the wave of familiarity at the cowboy being on his sixth, but the awkward air between him and Jack helped to keep the memories at bay.

 

Everything was going fine, the base had been cleaned out, and Hana was working on gathering data, as Sombra assisted with anything that was too heavily protected. It was close to the time they were meant to pull back when simultaneously Sombra called out on the comms, and Hanzo’s communicator started its emergency beep.

 

“Talon’s sending in reinforcements, get out of there!” Sombra called.

 

“C’mon we’re almost there!” Lucio cried in frustration.

 

“Pull back!” Hana shouted, grabbing whatever her data stick had downloaded and hopping back into her mech.

 

“Go!” Reaper growled, pushing the two much younger agents ahead of them. “We’ll cover you, go help Shimada.”

 

McCree went to run off with them, “They’ve got it covered McCree.” Jack ordered as he grabbed him by the serape and the three of them made a break for it in the other direction.

 

“Seriously, can’t Overwatch have one thing go right?!” McCree swore as he followed his old commanders.

 

“Why? You know you’ve got Overwatch’s good luck charms with you.” Reaper sassed as he reloaded Hellfire in the shadows before pulling them out again.

 

“Real funny.” Jack grumbled, though Reaper could hear the smile in his voice this time.

 

Just as they rounded a corner McCree threw out a stun grenade, Reaper stepped into the shadows just as Jack shot helix rockets into the overly large group of talon agents. After the Helix Rockets went off Reaper began firing in the middle of the Talon agents.

 

With one agent left, the bastard shot some sort of dart at Reaper, and it managed to stick into his neck before McCree fired off a bullet and hit the grunt between the eyes.

 

Reaper ripped the needle at his neck, and looked at the now empty dart. “That can’t be good.”

 

“Hold onto it, Winston can check it out when we get back to base.” Jack said coming to stand with his back against Reaper’s, like in the Crisis, but Gabe shook off the memory.  _Not the time_.

 

“Where are you Gabe?” Sombra called in.

 

“Near the armoury.” Jesse supplied over the line.

 

“What the! Get out of there, they’ve got the place set to blow, and the rest of the team is at the ship.”

 

“Is Hanzo-“

 

“I am fine Jesse, get back here all of you, Lena says she needs to take off soon.”

 

Jack fired his gun into a mass off Talon agents coming in from behind them. “We’re a little busy right now!”

 

“Sombra you can’t hack the bomb?” Gabe asked as their group moved down the hallway in an attempt to make it out of the base.

 

“Its old school boss, but I’ve got eyes on the camera, you’ve got a minute before the place blows like Zurich.” Olivia sounded worried despite the joke.

 

“Now’s not the time for that reference.” Tracer came out angrily over the comms.

 

“She’s just trying to lighten the mood.” Gabe supplied.

 

“Nothing like some good old fashioned gallows humour.” Jack agreed as he activated his tactical advisor.

 

“Boss, can you shadow step out of here?” Jesse asked after dropping another six guards with his dead eye.

 

“I’m not leaving without you two, idiot.” Gabe ground out as he pulled out newly reloaded Hellfire again.

 

The nanites were acting weird, he could feel them roiling under his skin, but there were too many Talon agents, and they were too far from any exit that Gabe remembered from the debrief.

 

There was only one option left.

 

“Goddamit-“

 

“Gabe don’t-“ Olivia said over the comms. But it was too late as Gabe grabbed his son and old lover by wrists as he pulled them in for a shadow step.

 

He had done this before with Olivia one bad mission when her teleporter stopped working, but he had never tried with two people.

 

Time slowed down drastically as Gabe stepped into the shadow and moved toward the ORCA. He had to concentrate on keeping Jack and Jesse together in his mind, and to keep his nanites to himself in case they decided that some soul energy was needed to make the plan work.

 

When he felt themselves on the ORCA he stepped out of the shadows and let go of Jack and Jesse.

 

“Jesus Gabe, give a man some warning next time.” Jesse said as he slumped down on a chair.

 

“Get her in the air!” Hana called to Lena.

 

“It’s gonna be a bit bumpy luvs, hold on!”

 

“Take care to not get in a situation such as that again.” Hanzo chided from where Lucio was tending to a gash on his head.

 

Gabe could feel the world spinning around him, the noises of the ORCA merging together and making it hard to tell who was where.

 

“You said you were fine, honeybee.” Jesse complained, as he tried to stand before being pushed back in the seat by Jack.

 

“It is only a scratch.” Hanzo dismissed.

 

Gabe was trying to hold onto the conversation, the ringing of Olivia’s concerned chatter in his ear, Jack’s looks. Jack without his visor, his eyes full of concern that Gabe waved off.

 

But when he brought up his hand he could see a massive nanite cloud pouring off.

 

“That’s not supposed to happen anymore.” Gabe said before his knees and eyesight give out on him at the same time. He could feel the blinding pain as the nanites pooled out around him and Lucio and the rest of the team rushed over to him.

 

He couldn’t hear much, and he couldn’t feel beyond the blinding pain of his nanites overreacting in a way that they hadn’t done since he went back to Overwatch. But through the haze of the pain he felt someone find his hand and hold it in their scarred one.

 

His last thoughts were that maybe Jack didn’t hate him.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

Gabe was vaguely aware from the overload of information his nanites were giving him. Once the ORCA landed Angela was there as soon as possible to bring him to the med bay. He blacked out again when the blinding lights of the med bay overloaded the nanites that caused a feedback so large he couldn’t stand the pain anymore.

 

He came back to when he was made vaguely aware of a shouting match outside the door. The voices might’vebelonged to Angie and Olivia but he couldn’t be sure. He was present for a little bit before he saw Angela hovering over him uncertainly with a needle in her hand. He wasn’t sure if it was for an IV or pain meds, but the needle was more than enough to have him passing out in the state he was in.

 

It wasn’t for too long and he was reluctantly roused from the pain as he heard some overly dramatic Spanish.

 

He still couldn’t see, but the pain from the feedback of his nanites was minimal.

 

“So, Jorge and Maria are twins, but don’t know it yet, but Miguel knows and he’s not saying anything.” It was Hana, probably watching the newest episode of the telenovela that Gabe suggested they watch together. Although he couldn’t tell who she was talking to.

 

“Yeah, but keep watching.” Gabe could tell the Olivia was closer, probably busy talking to his nanites. She sounded fond and Gabe smiled inwardly, it was good for Olivia to make friends with people who weren’t smoke monsters or old geezers.

 

“Man this is more complicated than that new K-drama that we just started watching.” Lucio huffed, although he didn’t sound too bothered.

 

Hana and Lucio began an in-depth discussion of the merits of K-dramas and telenovelas as Olivia leaned down. “How are you doing old man?”

 

Gabe didn’t respond out loud but gave a thumbs up instead. He wasn’t even sure if his eyes were open or not but there was still no feedback on that front.

 

“Liar.” Olivia scoffed

 

“Mission debrief?” Gabe rasped, though not nearly as quietly as he had hoped.

 

“No way. You just get some rest old man.” Lucio said over the sounds of Jorge and Miguel fighting.

 

He felt a jolt of pain start in the back of his eyes. “oops.” Olivia said quietly and he could hear her nails tapping on a screen.

 

“Let him get some rest Liv.” Hana said, the volume of the telenovela turning down.

 

“You’ll be ok?” Olivia asked.

 

“Don’t worry about me.” Gabe said as he tried to shoo Olivia away. The sounds of the show came back on as Olivia sat at the foot of his bed. For a brief moment his eyesight came back and he thought he saw Olivia and Hana holding hands at the edge of the bed.

 

Gabe smiled to himself before closing his eyes and resting again.

 

The next time he roused himself, the nanites were still panicking but they were dulled more than before so he was more aware of his surroundings.

 

“McCree.” Gabe rasped as he struggles to sit up to better see the cowboy sitting in the chair next to his bed.

 

“Woah. Woahwoah, keep still Boss. You pull something out I’m sure Angie would kill me.” Jesse soothed like he was talking to a wild mustang he never rode.

 

“What’d you do?” Gabe asked looking at Jesse properly and making sure he was alright.

 

“Nothing!” He said indignantly. “I was in getting checked up to make sure your nanites didn’t screw nothing up and I said she should go get some food, so I’m watching out in case anything happens.”

 

“You worry too much.” Gabe said, picking at the area around his IV and watching a small wisp of nanites come off.

 

“Stop that.” Jesse swatted Gabe’s hand away.

 

They were silent for a while, the beeping of Gabe’s heart monitor keeping time. “Deja vu huh?” Jesse asked.

 

“That was one time.” Gabe scoffed. Then quieter, as the nanites became too painful to ignore, “You sure you’re ok?”

 

“Jack and I are fine.” Jesse was silent for a moment. “He’s been visiting, won’t come in, but he’s a sentimental bastard just like you.”

 

Gabe grunted, in agreement or pain, he’d let Jesse figure that one out.

 

“Ah get some more rest old man.”

 

“Did Angela figure out what was in the syringe?” Gabe asked as his eyes slid closed and he felt his limbs become heavier.

 

“Olivia and Winston are still running tests, they’ll figure something out, don’t you worry.”

 

“Your archer ok?” He asked, his speech starting to slur.

 

“He’s already running drills again.” Jesse replied as he helped Gabe lie back down.

 

“Did you hear about Hana and Olivia?” Gabe asked.

 

“You’re getting slow in your old age, Gabe.” Jesse chuckled before Gabe was dead to the world.

 

The next time Gabe woke up he felt remarkably better. The lights in the med bay were dim, which meant that Angela was sleeping in her office. The perfect time for an escape.

 

Gabe reached for the leads on his chest before he heard a voice that damn near made the heart monitor break with how much it startled him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

 

“Dammit Jack give a guy some warning next time.” Gabe whispered hoarsely as he continued to take the leads off.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

This time Gabe looked over at Jack. “How long have I been in here?”

 

“A week, give or take.” Jack looked exasperated as Gabe continued removing the leads to different machines.

 

“Have they figured out what was in the syringe?” Gabe, satisfied with what was removed pushed himself up on the hospital bed.

 

Jack was there instantly, propping a pillow up behind his back and then sitting on the edge of the bed, a hand on Gabe’s chest. “Winston, Olivia, and Ang think that it was some kind of tech to confuse your nanites, they started consuming themselves for energy.”

 

This close, and without Jack’s mask, Gabe could clearly see all the new wrinkles and scars on Jack’s face. As well as how his grey, practically white, eyebrows drew together in concern.

 

“Fuck.”

 

“Gabriel Reyes. What. Have. You done. To my work?” Both Jack and Gabe’s gaze broke from each other to look at an irate Angela Ziegler standing in the entrance to the room. Behind her stood Fareeha who was trying her best to give a disappointed stare, and failing every time her tattoo crinkled with her smile.

 

“Run.” Jack suggested.

 

“I would if I could.” Gabe muttered back.

 

Slowly Jack stood up off the bed, but not before giving Gabe a reassuring squeeze, when he stood up he lightly brushed his lips against Gabe’s temple. They both blushed a deep red, but neither looked away.

 

“Morrison, get out of my Med Bay before I decide to start taking blood again.” Angela ordered, and Gabe hadn’t seen Jack move that quickly in years.

 

“I’ll be back later alright?” Jack said from the door, Gabe nodded and he can’t remember a time when he saw Jack so bashfully happy even before Zurich.

 

As Angela started swearing up a storm as she reattached lines to Gabriel’s body (although she was still careful and warned him when to look away), Fareeha finally let herself laugh.

 

“Damn  _Tío,_ you two are acting like teenagers again.” Fareeha snorted

 

“Acting like stupid teenagers!” Angela groused as she prepared the needle for the IV, again. “Even in his worst days Jesse wouldn’t dare touch my work!”

 

“Jesse’s always been too afraid of you.” Fareeha reminded her.

 

“He doesn’t hate me.” Gabe whispered as Angela leaned down to put the IV in.

 

“No shit.” Fareeha deadpanned, staring Gabe in the eyes.

 

“Why?”

 

“None of hate you Gabriel.” Angela smiled. “That being said, if you touch my work again, I will be sure that you stay in here for another week.”

 

“Get some rest Gabe.” Fareeha ordered softly.

 

“I’ve had more than enough rest.” Gabe complained but shrunk under Angela’s cold stare.

 

“You’ll have enough rest when I say you do.” Angela ordered as she finally got her work fixed. “I’ll have Jack bring up some food when you visit.” She winked at him and at his red face Fareeha started laughing.

 

“Just like teenagers.” Fareeha laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Alone Together by Fall Out Boy. It's what Gabe's emo soul would have wanted.
> 
> I saw someone on tumbly being like: good shit is when someone takes damage for someone else and doesn't let them know. So I wanted to do a story off of that, but this came out instead. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos not only encourage me to write more but also let me know if you guys like what I'm doing. <3  
> Happy new year :)


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